Campus Ministry

In 2005, he moved to Richardson to attend the University of Texas at Dallas, where he earned an engineering degree. During his college years, he served at All Saints in youth ministry, where he grew closer to Christ through prayer and service. In Eucharistic adoration one evening, the Spirit of God called him into the seminary, where he discovered his vocation to the priesthood and a zeal for teaching the Word of God and the richness of our Christian faith.

Father Stephen was ordained in Dallas by Bishop Burns in May 2018. Prince of Peace community is his first parish as a priest. In his time serving this community, he has seen the amazing ways in which God is active in our parish, transforming hearts and minds through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

I pray that we may all be instruments of God's loving Providence, sharing his blessings with the world." - Father Stephen

Joining JPII in the summer of 2021, Mr. Brandt is in charge of leading all spiritual initiatives for students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni.  These include retreats, masses, prayer services, spiritual guidance, and other special events that foster love of God and His creation.

Mr. Brandt grew up in Dallas where he attended St. Patrick Catholic School and later Cistercian Preparatory School.  He attended the University of Notre Dame where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Theater and the Program of Liberal Studies.  After graduating, he joined the Alliance for Catholic Education where he earned a Master’s in Education and served for two years as a Middle School Language Arts Teacher and drama club director in Atlanta, Georgia.  In his seven years at Bishop Dunne he directed the Theater program, worked in admissions, and taught various courses in Speech, Theater, and Religion.  Mr. Brandt is one of the recipients of the Work of Heart Award for excellence in Catholic Education during his time at Bishop Dunne.

He has been in Catholic Education all his life: 18 years as a student, and 10 years as a faculty/staff member.  He loves being a part of the Holy Spirit’s mission to make disciples, and he has a special devotion to Pope St. John Paul II.  In his past work, he redesigned the retreat program and created a Peer Ministry program at Bishop Dunne Catholic School in Dallas, TX.  He frequently speaks at conferences and parish events on various topics about the faith.  He also runs a small Catholic theater ministry called Genesian Ministries in his spare time.

Mr. Brandt and his wife Kathryn are the proud parents of their first born child, Josephine Rose, as of July.  His favorite hobbies are playing sports and board games, cooking, watching the Dallas Stars and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and traveling.